Staying Together
by MorbidMotive
Summary: This story revolves around how John and Sherlock have always been there for each other, from the time Sherlock is adopted into the family as a baby, as they grow up, and how they stay together through the good and bad times. AU kid!lock teen!lock, family fluff! Some feels now and then as well ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome! This story revolves around how Sherlock and John have always stuck together, through Sherlock getting adopted into the family and and as he and John grow older, and the hardships that comes with.**

Chapter 1

The orphanage walls were painted a beautiful teal with a brown strip racing along it. The entire place looked like a large house, not exactly how Anna Watson-Holmes imagined it to look. She followed the woman, her name was apparently Katherine, down to where the children ages one through four were playing. In her hand, she held the hand of her five year old son, John, who walked beside her, trying to shy away from Katherine.

When they entered the room, John's eyes lit up. There were about thirty kids there, all around his age. His mother set him down on the floor as she spoke with Katherine about something John didn't understand. He looked around the room at all the kids, then spotted a little boy, about one year old, sitting alone. He walked over to the dark, curly haired boy and sat down next to him. The baby looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Hello," John said, "I'm John Watson. And that's my mummy," he said pointing to Anna, "Anna Watson-Holmes." The baby just continued to look at him. "She has two last names 'cause when daddy died, she kept his last name and her old one." Still the baby just looked at him. "I miss daddy, but mummy says he's up in heaven watching over me." The five year wiped at his eyes to remove the tears that gathered inside. The curly haired boy watched, then crawled over to John and sat himself in the boys lap. He leaned against John and grabbed his jumper in his tiny fist, then tugged on it. "Be careful, my daddy gave me this jumper," he said, a tad harshly. The little boy in his lap looked up at him, tears in his eyes as his face crumpled. But before he could cry, John said "I'm sorry," and kissed the baby's head, then hugged the little boy gently.

Unbeknown to the two of them, they were being watched by Anna and Katherine, who were standing a ways away.

"Looks like they like each other," Katherine said.

"Yeah," Anna said, smiling a little.

"His name is Sherlock, he's ten months old. I've never seen him voluntarily be by someone. It's odd, but he likes to be by himself."

"If I may ask, what happened to his parents?"

Katherine's lips turned down in a frown. "I knew his parents, the mother was a frenemy of mine back in highschool. Very well off and stuck up. They didn't want to 'waste time with a little brat'. Marianne, the mother, was going to abort him, but I talked her out of it. The day after Sherlock was born they left him here, still wrapped up in the hospital blanket."

"That's terrible," Anna said, tears prickling in her eyes as her heart went out to the infant.

"I know. Some people, I swear."

Back with the boys, John continued to hug the little boy, who was still gripping the fabric of his jumper, but he didn't mind so much anymore. They stayed like that a while before Sherlock began to cry, his face turning red. John wondered if he had done something wrong, but then saw that Sherlock only had a few of his teeth, and remembered how his aunt Mary said something about babies 'teething' and that they needed to chew on something. John looked around and spotted a teething ring, one that Sherlock had been playing with when he first spotted him. He picked up the toy and rubbed it on his jeans to clean it a bit, then gently stuck it in Sherlock's mouth. His cries became quieter and less frequent, then as he chewed on the toy. He leaned against John again and his eyes began to shut as he fell asleep.

Anna smiled. "I know who the new addition will be." Katherine smiled and lead her over to where John and Sherlock sat. She gently picked the sleeping baby up and placed him in Anna's arms. He made small sleepy noises and begins to stir, but settled down when Anna ran a gentle hand over his hair. "Ssh, it's alright, baby." Having dropped the teething ring when he fell asleep, Sherlock put a thumb in his mouth and began to suck on it.

"Mummy, is he going to be my brother now?"

"Yes, sweetheart, he is."

"What's his name?"

"Sherlock. He's ten months old."

"His last name should just be Holmes."

"Why is that?" Anna asked, a bit confused.

"Because you have to last names and kids. I have the first half of your last name and he can have the other half, just like your heart."

Anna smiled and kneeled down next to her son. "I think that's a wonderful idea. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes." John smiled proudly and kissed Sherlock gently on the forehead. The baby's hand reached up at the sudden contact, but lowered as John's lips moved from his skin. He smiled at his little brother.

"Welcome to the family, Sherlock Holmes."

* * *

**This is the replacement for Chapter one. There were only minor things, but they were bugging me, so I took care of them.**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to fave, follow and review, BUT NO FLAMES**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

John sat on his mother's bed watching his new baby brother sleep in his crib. He hadn't woken up since he fell asleep at the orphanage almost two hours ago. John wanted to play with Sherlock, but his mummy told him that sleep was important for babies, and that he would just have to wait until Sherlock woke up.

So now he was laying on his belly, watching through the crib as Sherlock rested peacefully. He noticed that his blanket had been partially kicked off at some point, so he got off the bed, leaned over the crib as far as he could, and pulled the blanket up so Sherlock would be warm.

While he did that, Sherlock latched a tiny hand onto his finger. He pulled it to his mouth and began to chew on it. It didn't really hurt, since Sherlock didn't have many teeth yet, but John needed his hand back.

"No, Sherlock, that's my hand," he said as he took it away. Sherlock's eyes opened and his face crumpled at the loss of something to chew on and he began to cry. "Ssh, no, Sherlock, it's alright. Here," John said as he handed Sherlock his teething ring, but the little one didn't stop crying. Anna came in and picked up the distressed child.

"John, sweetheart, I told you not to wake him up."

John looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Mummy. I was just trying to cover him up and he grabbed my finger. When I tried to take it back he cried."

Anna offered a small smile. "Well, it's about time for him to wake up anyway, besides he probably needs a new nappy. You're lunch is out on the table for you." John's face lit up and he ran out to the kitchen to eat his mac and cheese. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Anna emerged with a much happier Sherlock. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a woman about seven years older than Anna, with the same color hair as she and John.

"Aunty Mary!" John squealed and ran up to her. She knelt down and wrapped her oldest nephew in her arms.

"Hello, Johnny! Have you been helping your mother like I asked?"

"Yes, Mary."

"Good boy," she said with a smile, then she stood up and wrapped an arm around her younger sister. "So, this is Sherlock? He's adorable."

"Isn't he? He's a very happy baby, just adores John. Watch this. John," Anna said and John looked up from his toy, "can you go stand by the kitchen please?" John nodded and walked over to where the kitchen met the sitting room. Anna then placed Sherlock down on the floor.

Sherlock looked around a bit before spotting John. The baby then smiled a few-toothed smile and crawled over to the boy.

"Wow, that's really something," Mary said with a smile.

"Yeah, I know. They have a special bond."

Sherlock finally reached his brother, and when he got to him, he grabbed the fabric of John's jeans and tried to pull himself up. John had to hold his trousers up so they wouldn't fall down, but sure enough, Sherlock got up about half way before falling on his bum. His face crumpled as he began to cry. John picked him up as his mother walked over and kissed his little brothers cheek.

"Good job, Sherlock!" Sherlock stopped crying and looked at his brother. "I'm proud of you, little brother!" Sherlock smiled at the praise and clapped his hands a bit. Anna then took Sherlock from John's arms and held him up in the air, pretending to munch on his tummy, causing the baby boy to squeal in laughter.

Anna placed him on the play mat and John laid next to him as their mother and aunt sat on the couch to talk. Sherlock crawled over to John and John wrapped his arms around the little boy, who then yawned and began to fall asleep.

When Sherlock fell asleep, held close in his brother's arms, John whispered in his ear, "I will always be here for you, Sherlock. I promise." In response, Sherlock emitted a sleepy moan and stuck his thumb in his mouth. John reached for the pillow sitting near the table and rested his head on it, pulling Sherlock's baby blanket over the both of them and pulling Sherlock in closer.

Just as he had promised Sherlock, he was there for him, protecting him from the monsters and nightmares as he slept. He moved down a bit and kissed the top of his brothers hair before falling asleep himself.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to fave, follow and review, BUT NO FLAMES!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Sherlock**: 3 **John:** 8

John was eight years old when his little brother ran up to him with tears in his eyes as he waited for him outside the school's daycare. Sherlock ran up to him and clutched his left thigh, then began to cry.

"Hey, Lock, what's wrong?" The toddler in question looked up, and the look on his face broke John's heart. He kneeled down and placed a hand on Sherlock's shoulder. "Sherlock, what's wrong?"

Sherlock sniffled before speaking. "A-Andewson and, and S-S-Sally s-said that my real family didn't w-wan me, so they left me, and now you and m-mummy are stuck wiff me, that you'll get bowed wi-wiff me and leave m-me too." He wrapped his short arms around John's neck and cried into his big brother's shoulder. John picked him up and walked over to the bench around the corner. He sat down and sat Sherlock on his lap as he continued to cry.

It broke John's heart, seeing Sherlock like this. Sherlock only lisped like that when he was really upset about something. He wrapped his arms around Sherlock and put a hand on the back of the boy's head, soothing the hair that rested there as he cried. Something wasn't right though. He then pulled back and gently forced the toddler to look at him. "Lock, where did they get the idea that mummy and I aren't your real family?"

"I told them I'm adopted," he answered, as though it were completely obvious, though he was still shedding tears.

"How, how did you know that? Did mummy tell you?"

"It's obbious, Don," he lisped, "I don't look anyfing like you or mummy, or eben daddy in his pictuwes." Sherlock sniffed and looked up at John once more, tears streaming down his face. "Please don't leave me, Don."

John, deciding to let Sherlock's knowledge of his adoption slide from his mind for the moment, wrapped his arms around his distressed baby brother and said "Never, Sherlock. I promised you that I will always be there for you, and I'm not breaking that promise. Okay?" He felt Sherlock nod and he rubbed his brother's back to comfort him. "And who cares what Anderson and Sally think? We may not be your birth family, but we are your _real_ family, and we love you very, very much."

"I love you and mummy too... Don?"

"Yes, lock?"

"Am I a fweak?"

John pulled back and looked at the sad eyes of his brother. "Of course not. Anderson and Sally are just idiots. They're only jealous of how smart you are. Don't let them get to you, alright?"

Sherlock nodded, his dark curls bouncing, and John wiped away his tears before they heard the familiar sound of their mother's car horn, waiting to take them home.

Twelve minutes later, there was a screech and a crash.

Xxx

John woke to bright lights and sterile smelling air. He looked around, noticed he was in a hospital room, and saw a nurse reading something on a clipboard. She sensed that she was being watched, the nurse looked up and smiled at John.

"Hello, John. My name is nurse Katherine. How's your head feeling?"

It wasn't until now that John realised his head hurt. "Hurts a little, but not to much. Where's my mum and Sherlock?"

The nurses smile faded and she looked down for a minute before looking him in the eye. "You're brother is in the bed right here, behind the curtain and your mum is in the grown up part of the hospital, she has a few broken ribs but she's going to be fine. You're brother..." Sherlock paused, not sure what to say. "He's a bit worse. He hit his head very hard and broke his arm. That's all we know right now."

John jumped out of the bed and onto the cold tiled floor, wishing he had his socks, then walked to the next bed. He stopped and stared at his baby brother as he lay unconscious on the bed. He dropped walked over to the bed. Sherlock looked so small and vulnerable. John grabbed Sherlock's small hand and held it in his own. He got as close as he could and whispered in his ear "I'm right here. I'll protect you."

Sherlock moaned quietly and squeezed back lightly. John climbed on Sherlock's right side and held his brother close in a gentle, caring embrace.

"I love you, Sherlock," John whispered. He snuggled down on the covers and kissed his brother's head before stroking Sherlock's hair. Sherlock moaned quietly and snuggled into his brother's warm embrace. John fell asleep not long after.

Xxx

When John awoke for the third time that day, the first thing he heard was his mother's voice. He looked up at her to see her talking with Katherine. She looked over to him and smiled in relief before hugging him. The movement then woke Sherlock, whom was sitting in his mother's lap.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, sweetheart. Me and John and nurse Katherine."

Sherlock scrunched up his face a bit. "Where are you? And why are the lights off?"

This concerned everyone. The lights were on and the sun was still up.

"Sweety, they _are_ on," Anna said.

"But I can't see anything, eferyfing is dark," Sherlock said, confused. He could hear his mother take in a slightly ragged breath. "Mummy, why can't I see?"

John hugged Sherlock tightly as Katherine took in a breath. "You were in a car accident, do you remember, Sherlock?" Sherlock nodded. "You hit your head pretty hard in a spot that can affect your sight. Luckily, it should only be temporary and you should be able to see again."

Anna sighed in relief. "Thank God," she said quietly. Sherlock deserved to see, he loved to observe things.

John tightened his grip on his brother and held him close, refusing to cry. Even if Sherlock couldn't see it, he needed to be strong for his baby brother.

"I'll leave you three alone, if you need anything, let me know," Katherine said before walking out of the room.

"Mummy, I want Greyson," Sherlock said, as if nothing had changed. Anna smiled a sad smile.

"All right, I'll go get him, sweetheart."

Once he heard his mother's footsteps leave the room, he turned and burrowed his face in John's shirt and started to cry silently.

"Sherlock?" John asked.

"I-I wanna see, Don," he cried.

John's heart broke for his baby brother. He hugged him tight and rubbed his back.

"You will, Lock. I promise. The doctor said you should be able to see again in a while."

He got a whimper as a response, along with Sherlock tightening his grip on John's shirt. John tightened his hold on Sherlock.

"I promise."


End file.
